What is the LSAT?
The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is a half-day standardized test administered by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) and required by all ABA-approved law schools. The LSAT provides law schools in the United States and Canada with a standard measure of the reading and verbal reasoning skills considered essential for success in law school. The test is administered four times each year - usually February, June, October, and December - at hundreds of locations across the United States.
LSAT Sections.
The LSAT consists of five 35-minute multiple choice sections: two logical reasoning sections, one reading comprehension section and one analytical reasoning section (also called “logic games”). The fifth section, which may contain any of the three exam categories, is not reported in your final score and is used to test questions for future exams. Unfortunately, you will not know which section is experimental so you must exert equal effort on all sections.
The final portion of the test is an ungraded 35-minute writing sample. The writing portion sets forth a problem and two criteria for resolving the problem. You must craft an essay choosing one of the two criteria. You will be evaluated on your ability to formulate an argument, support your position and write clearly, concisely and persuasively.
Free official sample tests are available through LSAC.
Scoring.
Your LSAT score is based on the number of correctly answered questions (the raw score). Raw scores are converted to a LSAT scale ranging from 120 to 180. Since you are not penalized for incorrect answers you should answer every question and guess if you are uncertain of the answer. These scores are comparable regardless of the edition of the test taken.Admission to law school is extremely competitive with many candidates vying for limited spots in the nation’s top law schools. Your score on the LSAT will carry great weight in law school admissions decisions. To gain admission to top law schools such as Yale and Harvard, the median LSAT score is in the 170’s (98+%). Bottom-tier law schools accept applicants with LSAT score as low as the mid-140’s.
For more information on the LSAT, visit the Law School Admissions Council.
